He is most likely to do that in the loan market - but the Scot has accepted that Grant is now out of Rovers’ reach.

“He’ll be part of Everton’s plans,” Ferguson told The Star.

“I know they’ve changed manager but certainly that was the hope for him.

“If he goes out on loan it’ll probably be to the Championship.”

Grant scored four times in 22 appearances for Rovers before an Achilles injury cut short his loan spell.

The Merseysider netted on his Doncaster debut to become an instant hit with the Rovers faithful. His family also attended several games and made it clear how much Grant was enjoying his time in South Yorkshire.